Washington Sports Betting

Washington promos and bonuses

The emergence of mobile sports betting in Washington will mean plenty of bonuses and offers for anyone making wagers within state lines. We encourage everyone to maximize their bonus and offer exposure, since many of these first-time inducements result in real cash landing in sports bettors’ accounts, with little playthrough required (for the most part).

Washington sports betting quick facts

How to bet in Washington

Register online or in person

Registration requirements vary slightly by sportsbook, but most follow the same protocols. Be sure to have your personal information (name, address, phone number) and credit card details (number, expiry date, CVV) handy.

Deposit and claim your bonus

Once you’re comfortable with how your sportsbook’s new signup bonus works, it’s time to make your initial deposit and claim whatever bonus might be available (though the pickings are slim when it comes to inducements at Washington sportsbooks).

Select and finalize your bet

Congratulations! You’re ready to place a wager. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the app, kiosk or physical sportsbook setup before diving in. Most operators make it easy for new sports bettors to navigate, but it’s still good to know where everything is.

From there, you can place any type of wager you like; the most popular bet types are the moneyline, spread or total. You can also dive into team or player props, or even kick things off with a futures bet.

Once you have the desired wager(s) in your betting card, take one last look to ensure you’ve made the selections you want. If everything is good, simply select “Bet” on your app or at your kiosk, or sign off on your bet at a retail location – and you’re off!

Washington legal sports betting history

As has been the case with several notable states to legalize sports betting in the U.S., supporters of Washington’s tribal casinos as the gatekeepers for sports wagering are at odds with those who would like to see the practice expanded throughout the state.

Unfortunately for the latter group, the law is not on its side – and despite challenges to the existing arrangement between the state and the 15 tribes that have signed gaming compacts, it doesn’t appear that anything is going to change in its favor.

Here’s a look at Washington’s sports betting history:

2020: Inslee Signs Bill Into Law

Governor Jay Inslee formally signed legal in-person and mobile sports betting into law in March, making Washington the first state in the U.S. in 2020 to join the legalized sports wagering club.

But while the bill was seen as a significant victory for the state’s tribal casinos – the only venues that were legally allowed to offer sports betting – the process was a long one. Little progress was made on new sports betting compacts the rest of the year, with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the government to focus on more pressing matters.

2021: Tribes Clash With Gaming CEO

The flip of the calendar finally produced some progress in Washington’s quest to have legal sports wagering up and running – but it didn’t come without a challenge.

Maverick Gaming CEO Eric Persson implored the state to consider expanding its sports betting bill to include card rooms and racetracks licensed within Washington to extend mobile sports wagering across the state. Bill SB5212 proposed a 10 percent tax on gaming revenue, along with an additional $100,000 license fee.

The tribes weren’t having it. Not only did Washington Indian Gaming Association Executive Director Rebecca George challenge Maverick’s contention that card rooms could generate $50 million annually in tax revenue from sports betting, she went on to say that opening up mobile sports betting off tribal lands would limit how much money the tribes could provide to poor communities.

The law ultimately remained unchanged, and Inslee went on to sign 15 tribal sports betting compacts in July 2021. Just over two months later, Snoqualmie Tribe made history as the first in Washington to take retail sports bets. Just before year’s end, Snoqualmie also became the first (and so far, only) tribe to offer mobile betting.

2022: Maverick Files Lawsuit Against State

On the heels of several additional Washington tribes introducing retail sports betting, Maverick filed a lawsuit claiming that the state had acted unlawfully in giving the tribes exclusive sports wagering access. 

That lawsuit is likely to drag on well into 2022 and possibly into 2023. Meanwhile, the tribal casinos continued to expand their sports betting operations, with DraftKings, FanDuel and Caesars all aligning with different Washington tribes early in 2022.

Responsible Gaming in Washington

Like most U.S. states, Washington has put safeguards in place to ensure that bettors have a way out of any potential trouble spots. 

The Washington State Gambling Commission is the state’s main resource for players who seek help. It provides access to treatment programs, a self-exclusion form and a host of self-help resources.

Visit the Washington State Gambling Commission site.

Sports leagues to bet on

It will come as no surprise to see a rather extensive list of major professional and amateur sports available to Washington bettors – a list that includes (but is not limited to):

• NFL
• NBA
• NCAA Football
• NCAA Basketball
• MLB
• NHL
• Golf
• Auto Racing
• Tennis
• Soccer
• MMA
• Esports

That doesn’t leave much off the table, but there are two major markets in which wagering in Washington is prohibited:

• Politics
• Entertainment (including awards shows)

Washington teams to bet on

Seattle has one of the most vibrant young fan bases in sports – and there could be another team to root for in the not-too-distant future. On the heels of the NHL returning to Seattle for the first time since the early 20th Century, there is increasing buzz that the NBA will head back to the city, which lost the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City in 2008.

Here’s a look at the three major professional sports franchises that play their home games in Washington:

Seattle Seahawks Betting

Lumen Field will see plenty of attention from sports betting operators if Washington ever opens up to multiple mobile sportsbooks. The home of the Seahawks seats more than 70,000 fans, and is a popular year-round venue – giving sportsbooks plenty of reason to aim for a partnership agreement with the NFL franchise. 

Seattle Mariners Betting

Will the Mariners follow the example set by the NL’s Washington Nationals? The Nats are the first Major League Baseball team whose stadium is connected to a retail sports betting venue (BetMGM Sportsbook). Seattle’s home park, T-Mobile Park, recently underwent a brand change and would likely welcome sports betting partners.

Seattle Kraken Betting

Of all the major professional sports teams to embrace sports betting partnerships when the time is right, the Kraken are at the top of the list. They play in the state-of-the-art Climate Pledge Arena, which features cashier-less technology and the ability for patrons to use an app to buy swag and have it dropped off at an in-arena pickup location.

Washington retail sportsbooks

Extended online sports betting might not be on the long-term agenda for Washington, but players still have a great selection of retail sportsbooks at their disposal. Some of the biggest names in the sports betting industry are active in the Evergreen State, with at least one more marquee operator on the verge of launching.

Here are the places where you can bet in person in Washington:

Angel of the Winds Casino (The Book, 3438 Stoluckquamish Ln, Arlington, WA, 98223)

Emerald Queen Casino (BetMGM Sportsbook, 2920 E R St, Tacoma, WA, 98404)

Muckleshoot Casino (Caesars Sportsbook, 2402 Auburn Way S, Auburn, WA, 98002)

Northern Quest Resort & Casino (Turf Club Sports Book, 100 N Hayford Rd, Airway Heights, WA, 99001)

Quil Ceda Creek Casino* (DraftKings Sportsbook, 6221 31st Ave NE, Tulalip, WA, 98271)

Snoqualmie Casino (Snoqualmie Sportsbook, 37500 SE North Bend Way, Snoqualmie, WA, 98065)

Spokane Tribe Casino (Caesars Sportsbook, 14300 US-2, Airway Heights, WA, 99001)

Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort (FanDuel Sportsbook, 15347 Suquamish Way NE, Suquamish, WA, 98392)

Tulalip Resort Casino* (DraftKings Sportsbook, 10200 Quil Ceda Blvd, Tulalip, WA, 98271)

*Coming soon